1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to methods, systems and apparatus for managing digital communications systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies provide potentially large bandwidth for digital communication over existing telephone subscriber lines (referred to as loops and/or the copper plant). In particular, DSL systems can adjust to the characteristics of the subscriber line by using a discrete multitone (DMT) line code that assigns a number of bits to each tone (or sub-carrier), which can be adjusted to channel conditions as determined during training and initialization of the modems (typically transceivers that function as both transmitters and receivers) at each end of the subscriber line.
DSL systems are configurable to a degree that allows certain trade-offs among and between performance aspects of such DSL systems. Thus, the configuration of a DSL system often has an effect on customers' satisfaction in their use of the DSL service. Users and other non-operators have not been capable to obtain, record, evaluate and/or implement performance aspects that are most significant to users and to configure a DSL system to accommodate such preferences.
Systems, apparatus, methods and techniques that provide improvements for identifying the user preferences with respect to a DSL system and for configuring a DSL system to satisfy the user preferences without requiring the intervention of a DSL system operator would represent a significant advancement in the art. Also, systems, apparatus, methods and techniques for implementing such user preference assessment and DSL system configuration likewise would represent a significant advancement in the art.